i wrote this wall of text because i am venting as a assistant grocery manager.. my department is shorthanded overnight crew. the store management, co's/director upset with us. i feel disrespected/abused. my boss the grocery manager is becoming a good friend, and we're both busting our asses, working sooo hard for this store and all we get is crap from management. not one time have they said "thank you for your hard work" ... instead they want to know why this is a hole when the scangun says we have it.. I tell them we lost 2 fulltime guys and a part time guy was hired (that sucks and i think is stealing) to which they dont say anything except "Well why didn't you finish on time?"
i feel like i am pissing in the wind even talking to management, they're so stupid! they have their heads so far up their asses, they have to fart to breathe. they expect no overtime, even though we are 60-80hours short on our budget every week.. they wonder why our shippers and displays are starting to suffer and our backstock looks like ****.. They wonder why i am working on Overtime trying to finish everything when my DDP says i don't have any time to even be standing around talking to them because we are so shorthanded.. its just so retarded, like the idiot sackers that throw returns on the shelf any damn place they want... YET when i explain to them that i'm sorry i haven't finished yet, we are shorthanded, i don't have time to walk the store with you so you can ask me why this is a hole when i havent been able to touch a shipper all week.... i feel like they're f***ing with me trying to make me snap.... why don't they instead try to help the situation and either accept that either all the work will NOT get done or me and my crew will have to get overtime UNTIL they give me 2-3more guys and i get them trained and up to speed....
i'm starting to hate the fact that i worked so hard to clean our department up with my grocery manager, and for a long time it was running sooo smoothly, low hole count, all backstock carts/pallets looking pretty and scanned, all shippers/displays set up and worked to the shelf, etc. we made all the other departments look like crap fora while! But, Now that we're suffering from the man-power the management can only harass us and ask stupid questions like "why aren';t you guys done yet, have you been farting around all night?" I just shake my head andtell them that no i have been working hard same as always, i'm just overwhelmed and shorthanded sir.. they don;t wanna hear it... they just want all this work to get done, minimal hours, minimal pay (No overtime).. they look at the bottom line, that's all they care about... i'm just a piece of sh*t, a fkn cog in the machine to them.... so fk it.
they got to understand it one or the other: either the work gets done and my crew gets overtime
or the work doesnt get done and we punch out after 8 hours everyday...
They can't expect me and my grocery manager to stay on overtime busting our asses from midnight to 12noon everyday to finish stuff.. They've told me to pick up anything on the floor and go home, and then when i'm pushing something to the back they turn right around and ask what the hell i am doing when i need to work that stuff... i'm like, but you said no overtime and to push it to the back and go home... then they say no u need to work that first i'll give you 30minutes on overtime... (pfft.. i just want to scream at them "that's what i was doing you dumb b****"). but im keeping my cool thus far.. i get a feeling theyre TRYING on purpose to send me over the edge and start something with me though... i can play their little mind games, i'm not gonna flip out and get fired because to me, in my opinion from what i've seen all the managers are at eachothers throats, trying to backstab eachother and they really need to pull this crap to gether and be a friggin team... they act more immature than the 18-19year old kid i have stocking for me that argues with me all the time. Management acts more like little children at my store than anywhere i have worked before. whatever, i just would like to know how these idiots got to be where they are and how long until i can be one of them lol...
ok here's my rant, first some background info:
i'm the assistant grocery manager -not yet certified but have been running the night crew for a while with my boss, the grocery manager.. we're pretty good friends, me and the grocery manager..
we end up doing 70% of the store on most nights because we have fat, lazy, old f***ers, and a kid 18-19 yr old do their regular crap, most these guys are full time and just not performing as well as some part time guys, what else is new...
So, we're ALL taking vacations this and last month... Prally why im so stressed/struggling with my department... All my best workers are taking vacation. I took miy vacation (and came back to work 2days durring my vacation), one guy is out this week, and next week my boss is going on vacation. so we're f***ed... backstock is piling up, we're getting the truck thrown, but endcaps/displays/shippers are suffering, still getting done, just we're doing them on OT... But my problem is not with my crew really, just that we are shorthanded... We were fine a couple months ago...
Upper management is so stupid! They come in want to walk the store while we are finishing conditioningthe last few aisles and the first thing they say is "Why isn't everything done?" We tell them, well we're shorthanded, this guy is oin vacation, another fulltime guy has been on medical leave over a month and might not be coming back... so they sent us 1 new guy who doesnt want to work, does 3days and sucks but still they come in and expect us to have everything done and no OT...
Is it just me or does that not make sense? They expect no overtime from a crew that is down a couple full time guys, another part time guy quit. and we can show that our schedule hours allowed are waaay below budget... we had i think 60 hours extra last week - with all the workers (and they put a stupid daytime replenisher on our hours, that we never see do sh*t, he does the peyton totes, throws crap everywhere on the shelf, doesnt even open stuff, stock it in a line pushed to the back -I hate the way the daytime replenisher stocks). But anyways, management comes in and asks us why we aren't done... and we tell them. then they send us home because they can't 'afford overtime'... Our store makes a lot of money.. They never really cared about a little overtime in the past, but i have been doing 6day weeks, aftger clearing it with management....so has my boss just to get the truck done, so now theyre really upset and when i told the store director that there is one guy scheduled tomorrow night with a 250peyton truck (small) ususally we have 2 or 3 guys on that night and get backstock ran...
our backstock carts are overflowing, havent been ran in a week or longer... but management goes down the aisles and zeros out anything thats a hole :/ even after i tell them we havent gotten to the backstock fora week..... theyre so stupid imho.
how can they expect no overtime and everything to be done? they need to give us 2-3more guys before they start bitching about our backstock.. another thing they do that pisses us off is they make under their breath comments, like "what were you guys farting around all last night?" that really makes me wanna punch someone in the face.. We have been busting our asses all night doing the whole store 2 guys while the other 2workers (that suck) tweedle dumb and tweedle dumberer over hre do their regular aisles and are at the fulltime cap making 13.60 .... i'm only making 11.00 f***ing dollars an hour and to be told im farting around when ive been sweating and moving so fast, doing paper, soap, pet, bake, cereal, cans aisle all night with my grocery manager really nerks me....
I wish i could write a letter to someone above our store's upper management, just detailing how much of a hell these ppl make my job. needless to say i gave terrible marks on the recent survey about upper management and excellent marks to my 'immediate supervisor'. if this company would have not made the stupid decision to spend millions on blue signs and these new blue "ask me how i can help you?" t-shirts... the company imho should have spent that money updating the f***ing computer/scan gun system, which seems ancient to me and hard to learn/teach.... i would say the kroger scan gun system is like ms dos compared to windows.. it needs to be updated/made more user friendly...
I'm just getting so sick and tired of killing myself trying that i'm giving up... i see all these pathetic loser workers in other departments that rely on the hard workers and we all get paid the same (THANK YOU STUPID UNION, of which i AM PROUD NOT TO BE PAYING DUES TO BECAUSE IM NOT A SUCKER, NOR DO I GET IN TROUBLE A LOT) the union is there for ppl that get in trouble a lot and/or are fat and lazy...
I perform. some of my guys perform a lot better than the others... i can't fix a fat guy, i can't fix an argumentative kid that always lags behind... but i can drive them harder and keep pushing them to get their stuff done... im fixing to just quit giving a sh*t and start moving slow like they do... there seems to be no incentive with this company to perform better and outshine the other workers... management chews us dept heads/assistants out regardless... i was so proud of getting to be assistant grocery manager last winter, yet i do not have time to get certified, i keep telling management when can i come do my CBTs?? they want me to leave my shift 2hours early (HAHAHA YEAH RIGHT) and come back in the day to do them. Ridiculous! we're already struggling, i have a lot to do with stocking the truck, trying to get to backstock, doing the order, and all the extra crap they dump on me.
Our managers have left with broken coolers and a note for ME to call maintenance... they have not communicated to me at all where they want shippers/displays and when i set them up the next day theyre torn aprt in shopping carts shoved by my backstock... a couple months ago i had every aisles backstock low and scanned with the paperwork... but this month has been hell.. and when i try to talk to management about my problems they wont even look me in the eye... They wont even talk to me like i'm a grown man, they talk to me like im a child or a pet! i have the power to over-ride so i come in and work sometimes on my off day... i haven't YET been written up but the store director makes snide remarks about how i'm "easy money" or "mr. overtime" well **** sometimes i just want to scream at him and tell him i wonder whos ass you kissed to get ur job, because i work longer, faster, and harder than you sir... it's not that i dont like the guy, it's just there is a major lack of communication! i feel like my talent is going to waste ever since i started giving a rat's ass and making my department shine...
we were doing soooo good a couple months ago, but ever since one guy went on medical leave, another guy quit and everyone is taking their vacations all at once our department has turned to ****! i'm really just venting on here cuz i dont know what else to do... i could write a letter to the district manager i suppose, but prally just a waste of time... they're prally all in league with eachother (upper management), go to dinner parties at eachothers houses, etc... but it's really not that i'm mad at any one person,, i'm just mad at me busting my ass all night long 9-10hour days 6days a week without getting a simple Thank You For Your Hard Work. Instead i get disrepected by the ppl that should be thanking me for giving a damn. i'm fixing to stop giving a damn and turn into oine of the 'fat, lazy workers' because why should i work hard for a company that doesnt appreciate my hard work... i can just join the union and sit down at work like some of the other worthless fat, lazy slobs.
f*** kroger, worst f***ing company to work for unless ur a fat, lazy slob.
all in all i know i will keep working hard and in a couple more months, the hard workers like me will help turn this department around again.. it's amazing how fast we can do it when we all pull together and work as a team.
:) if i could just find a way to get rid of the fat/lazy/worthless workers or cut their pay down to what they're really worth, because in my honest opinion the scumbag guys should not be paid the cap 13.60? while one of my best guys a young college kid makes the part time cap of 10.50? and my best working college kid does at least double the amount of work the fulltime bum does... but unfortunately the g-- d--- union has that fat f-ck's back
im done. leave any comments u want, this post was mostly just for my venting about all the problems i've seen during my time at my kroger store, perhaps other stores aren't run by a bunch of immature managers... but i am sure that every kroger has it's old ppl there for the cheap kroger insurance, also its fat/lazy slobs there to make fulltime cap and do minimal work... seems to me like the big wigs need to wise up a little and make some changes to the whole structure of kroger.. either that or us hard workers will all go work for HEB and leave all the crappy workers at kroger
What state are you in? This sounds just like my store.. Do not give exact location.
I have been running this rat race on nights for over 5 years. Same story as yours. Currently, we are running smoother than normal but just had a new person quit. 2 FT and 3 of us PT just to run Grocery and condition.
What do you'll run? Groc, kmp, totes? Do you run & scan certain backstock carts on certain days?
I, too, run one shift a week and have a 23 yo that likes to argue about everything. I have decided to take the drill sargeant approach with him. I will not put up with his childish nonsense.
It was a wall of text and I only read half of it. I might post more if I think of something.
I was getting crazy OT. The other PTs didn't want anything to do with OT. They would work their shift and leave whether the work was done or not. Supposedly, HR came in chewing out our store managers demanding they hire more people for the night crew in order to bring OT down.
If you are absolutely certain you are reading the DDP correctly and do not have enough bodies for the work being expected, you have several choices(all are a can of worms so choose wisely):
(Omitted because I do not want to post them). They might be crappy carreer ending suggestions.
If your Grocery manager has been there for a while, he should know how to deal with these store managers and get the hours and bodies he needs to get the job done.
Is there a way to request employees from other stores come in and help at your store?
It is supposed to get worse when all the PTs get cut to 28 hours a week!
What state are you in? This sounds just like my store.. Do not give exact location.
Added..
I am from San Antonio and used to live near the Kroger @ Callahan and William Travis. I am guessing you are from Texas because I know about HEB. Maybe you are from San Antonio.
Your situation is repeated many times at every store. Take it in stride and do not get stressed out about it. Yes, there is a lack of communication between workers and managers. But, the show must go on.
My store manager and 1 comanager do allow me to work OT and thank me for getting other peoples work(daycrews) done. The other comanager is stingy with hours but not a complete axxhole, just strict and by the book. It is their job to meet budget or get fired. It is also part of their bonus to meet budget. They breath down your neck because someone higher up is breathing down their neck. All part of the kroger management "food chain".
Print out the DDP for each night. The DDP is for stocking cases. Not always accurate because I can run 40 cases of 12 packs in 15 minutes. A pallet of 24 Kroger water(84 cases) takes 15 minutes to rotate pallets. Conditioning is a separate amount of time. Keep track of everything everyone is doing (especially case counts). When the manager asks why the work isn't getting done, show them where everyone was working and what they were doing. Keep a copy for you file because the manager will toss it. They have the ability to get rid of the slackers. They can decide to either fix it or shut-up. Most likely, they will shut up but still complain.
I have my store divided by aisle and know exactly how long it takes me to condition each aisle. I fix 5 things per aisle that day crew screws up and leave the rest until the next day. I would be there all day fixing everything daycrew touches. They run stock like kindergardeners. Not including conditioning, DDP expects us to run 60 cases an hour. I can crank thru 80+ cases an hour if I have a good workflow and a sharp cutter! DDP from the computer Daily Planner only times stocking cases. It does not include run and scan daily backstock aisle, setting up shippers, recieving, ordering, filling backstock H2o gallons, filling endcaps, replenishing or arguing with immature kids. The final DDP report(on back of clipboard) does include all those times.
The grocery manager should be the one with a map of where the shippers and endcaps are placed. He needs to check his email or something. Or, he is the one who decides where they go because he is the one ordering half of them.
You know what I love? (And by the way, this isn't just a one-store problem, or even a Kroger problem, but other chains have the same problems...I've worked for a few, so I know!) How about a co-manager asking employees all week if they could stay extra OT to finish a job (due to 1. a call-in, 2. a no-show, 3. someone got suspended, 4. late trucks,etc., etc. you name it...take your pick!). The co goes on vacation. Next week, the store manager is complaining at the morning meetings that everyone got too much OT last week, and that OT must be stopped. If you want OT, it must be approved by one of the store managers. Nevermind that it was the CO who was giving all that OT out! Imagine a whole week of hearing "No OT!" at the meetings. Now imagine, trucks are STILL being late every day. Imagine the store manager hearing from a higher-up, "Well, if the trucks are late, then schedule people later!" Then, imagine the following week, trucks are still late yet again. And now the store manager, NOT THE CO, is asking people if they can stay later, even calling people to come in and work extra, as if the previous week didn't happen. Soon enough, someone will probably complain about OT again, and guess what? THIS CYCLE HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST!!! But, no one seems to remember. And I'll ask, "Are things going to be the same this summer as they were LAST summer?" And no one knows. And then it turns out I was right...And they ARE THE SAME! AGAIN!!! And what do I get for being right? Absolutely nothing! STORY OF MY LIFE!
And by the way, the original poster talked about pissing in the wind when talking to management, and about being understaffed and overworked, and busting their a** all night long, only to hear "Why didn't this get done?" or "Why didn't that get done?", and so on and so forth. And then, not giving OT. I know ALL TOO WELL all about that, and I say this. I work just as hard. Deal with the same problems. I read the whole post, and it was like a checklist going off in my mind. Yep! Been there! Done That! Same here! Blah...Blah...Blah...Well, there's one thing you must know. Denial is a contagious disease within this organization (and many others, by the way). And the sad thing is...they haven't found a cure for denial yet. Don't know if they ever will. You all know what's happening! You see it every day! Am I wrong? Anyone else have the same problems here???
That's the one thing, too, I appreciate about this forum...I don't have to say a word, or even post...and the rest of you are echoing all the same things I'm feeling, so I know it's not just me!!!
you get OT? The nightstock hasn't had OT in over 4 months. And when we bring it up the Store manager say's no, because we don't deal with the customers directly. Howz that for some BS. In the crew I'm in they are all old and slow. They have been with kroger for suck a long time they each have 5 weeks of vacation. So as of the beginning on May vacations start and end just before November. So I know what you are talking about. It's a double edge sword, meaning that if you can't get it done then you don't deserve any help...if you do get it done they you don't need any help.
